Water management system and method

ABSTRACT

A water management method for controlling at least one operational parameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operational parameter is associated with water used by the water control device, the method comprising: sending, from an electronic controller of the water control device, operational data associated with the operational parameter to an embedded electronic device; receiving, at the embedded electronic device, the operational data, and developing control data based on the received operational data and sending the control data to the electronic controller; and receiving, at the electronic controller, the control data and controlling the operational parameter of the water control device based on the received control data.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a water management systemand method for controlling one or more water control devices. Thepresent disclosure also relates to a computing device for controllingone or more water control devices.

Description of the Related Art

In general, water control devices are devices that are used with waterand that can control at least one operational parameter associated withthe water such as, for example, temperature, flow rate, pressure, etc.Water control devices may be connected to a water source to enable thosedevices to function as designed. These water control devices may be, forexample, “end of line” plumbing fixtures such as tap ware, urinals,cisterns, showers, toilets and “inline” plumbing fixtures such as, forexample, flow control valves, thermostatic mixing valves (TMV) and waterre-circulation pumps.

For example, water control devices may be used in one or moreenvironments or areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, restrooms, toiletsand the like. For example, these water control devices may be bathroomor kitchen products and the like including urinals, basins, showerheads, taps and toilets, for example. As a further example, watercontrol devices may be plumbing fixtures and the like. As yet a furtherexample, water control devices may be other types of devices in whichwater is used such as water reticulation systems, water storage units,water sprinklers, hoses and outdoor taps, for example

When a problem occurs with a particular water control device, it can beproblematic to diagnose where the problem has occurred and whichparticular water control device is causing the problem.

For example, if a blockage occurs within one of five urinals in abathroom facility, it is not easy to diagnose which (if any) of theurinals is causing the blockage. One or more of the urinals may need tobe removed to assess whether they are the cause of the blockage. Duringthis assessment, the bathroom facility must be closed for use.

Further, even if an engineer is able to determine that a particularwater control device is not working within a set of desired operationalparameters, it is usually necessary to at least partially dismantle thewater control device in order to adjust the various operationalparameters of the water control device so that they are set to thedesired level.

Water control devices may be installed in bathroom facilities in variousareas where excessive water usage is of concern and so its supply may belimited. To assist with this, low water usage type devices may be used.However, in situations where there is a desire to limit water usagefurther due to environmental conditions such as drought or a long periodof hot weather, or due to water restrictions being put in place by localauthorities, it may become necessary to manually reduce the water usagein each separate water control device.

In medium to large buildings, multiple bathroom facilities usuallyexist. Monitoring and control of the water used by the numerous watercontrol devices in each of the bathroom facilities may be problematicand time consuming as it becomes necessary for individuals to move fromfacility to facility and device to device to assess any problems andmonitor the water control devices. This problem is further exacerbatedwhen a building manager is in charge of multiple buildings.

BRIEF SUMMARY

It is an object of the present disclosure to substantially overcome, orat least ameliorate, one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements,or to at least provide the public with a useful choice.

Disclosed are arrangements which seek to address the above problems bycontrolling one or more operational parameters of one or more watercontrol devices in a central manner, and also by changing a mode ofoperation of one or more water control devices in a central manner.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda water management method for controlling at least one operationalparameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operationalparameter is associated with water used by the water control device, themethod comprising: sending, from an electronic controller of the watercontrol device, operational data associated with the operationalparameter to an embedded electronic device; receiving, at the embeddedelectronic device, the operational data, and developing control databased on the received operational data and sending the control data tothe electronic controller; and receiving, at the electronic controller,the control data and controlling the operational parameter of the watercontrol device based on the received control data.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a water management method for controlling at least oneoperational parameter associated with at least one water control devicelocated in at least one area, wherein the operational parameter isassociated with water used by the water control device, the methodcomprising: sending, from at least one electronic controller associatedwith the water control device, operational data associated with theoperational parameter to at least one central gateway device; receiving,at the central gateway device, the operational data, and sending theoperational data to a web server; retrieving the operational data fromthe web server using a computing device; developing, at the computingdevice, control data based on the retrieved operational data and sendingthe control data to the electronic controller via the web server and thecentral gateway device; and receiving, at the electronic controller, thecontrol data and controlling the operational parameter of the watercontrol device based on the received control data.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda water management method for controlling at least one operationalparameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operationalparameter is associated with water used by the water control device, themethod comprising: determining, using a computing device, a mode ofoperation for the water control device based on water supply, developingcontrol data based on the determined mode of operation and theoperational parameter, and sending the control data to the electroniccontroller of the water control device; and the electronic controllerreceiving the control data and controlling the operational parameterbased on the received control data.

According to fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda water management method for controlling at least one operationalparameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operationalparameter is associated with water used by the water control device, themethod comprising: receiving, from an electronic controller of the watercontrol device, operational data associated with the operationalparameter; and developing control data based on the received operationaldata and sending the control data to the electronic controller forcontrolling the operational parameter of the water control device basedon the received control data.

According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda water management system for controlling at least one operationalparameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operationalparameter is associated with water used by the water control device, thesystem comprising an electronic controller of the water control device,and an embedded electronic device, wherein: the electronic controller isarranged to send operational data associated with the operationalparameter to the embedded electronic device; the embedded electronicdevice is arranged to receive the operational data, develop control databased on the received operational data and send the control data to theelectronic controller; and the electronic controller is further arrangedto receive the control data and control the operational parameter of thewater control device based on the received control data.

According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provideda water management system for controlling at least one operationalparameter associated with at least one water control device located inat least one area, wherein the operational parameter is associated withwater used by the water control device, the system comprising at leastone electronic controller associated with the water control device, atleast one central gateway device, a server and a computing device,wherein: the electronic controller is arranged to send operational dataassociated with the operational parameter to the central gateway device;the central gateway device is arranged to receive the operational data,and send the operational data to the web server; the computing device isarranged to retrieve the operational data from the web server, developcontrol data based on the retrieved operational data and send thecontrol data to the electronic controller via the web server and thecentral gateway device; and the electronic controller is furtherarranged to receive the control data and control the operationalparameters of the water control device based on the received controldata.

According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a water management system for controlling at least oneoperational parameter of at least one water control device, wherein theoperational parameter is associated with water used by the water controldevice, the system comprising a computing device and at least oneelectronic controller associated with the water control device, wherein:the computing device is arranged to determine a mode of operation forthe water control device based on water supply, develop control databased on the determined mode of operation and the operational parameter,and send the control data to the an electronic controller of the watercontrol device; and the electronic controller is arranged to receive thecontrol data and control the operational parameter based on the receivedcontrol data.

According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, there isprovided a computing device for controlling at least one operationalparameter of at least one water control device, wherein the operationalparameter is associated with water used by the water control device,wherein: the computing device is arranged to receive operational dataassociated with at least one operational parameter from an electroniccontroller associated with a water control device, develop control databased on the received operational data and send the control data to theelectronic controller for controlling the operational parameter of thewater control device based on the received control data.

Other aspects of the present disclosure are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

At least one embodiment of the present disclosure will now be describedwith reference to the drawings and appendices, in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B form a schematic block diagram of a general purposecomputer system upon which arrangements described can be practiced;

FIGS. 2A and 2B collectively form a schematic block diagramrepresentation of an embedded electronic device upon which describedarrangements can be practiced;

FIG. 3 shows a water control device with an electronic controlleraccording to the herein disclosure;

FIG. 4 shows a water management system according to the hereindisclosure;

FIG. 5 shows a further water management system according to the hereindisclosure;

FIG. 6 shows a water management process according to the hereindisclosure;

FIG. 7 shows a further water management process according to the hereindisclosure;

FIG. 8 shows a further water management process according to the hereindisclosure; and

FIG. 9 shows a further water management process according to the hereindisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Where reference is made in any one or more of the accompanying drawingsto features, which have the same reference numerals, those features havefor the purposes of this description the same function(s) oroperation(s), unless the contrary intention appears.

FIGS. 1A and 1B depict a general-purpose computer system 100, upon whichvarious arrangements described herein may be practiced.

As seen in FIG. 1A, the typical computer system 100 includes: a computermodule 101; input devices such as a keyboard 102, a mouse pointer device103, a scanner 126, a camera 127, and a microphone 180; and outputdevices including a printer 115, a display device 114 and loudspeakers117. An external Modulator-Demodulator (Modem) transceiver device 116may be used by the computer module 101 for communicating to and from acommunications network 120 via a connection 121. The communicationsnetwork 120 may be a wide-area network (WAN), such as the Internet, acellular telecommunications network, or a private WAN. Where theconnection 121 is a telephone line, the modem 116 may be a traditional“dial-up” modem. Alternatively, where the connection 121 is a highcapacity (e.g., cable) connection, the modem 116 may be a broadbandmodem. A wireless modem may also be used for wireless connection to thecommunications network 120.

The computer module 101 typically includes at least one processor unit105, and a memory unit 106. For example, the memory unit 106 may havesemiconductor random access memory (RAM) and semiconductor read onlymemory (ROM). The computer module 101 also includes an number ofinput/output (I/O) interfaces including: an audio-video interface 107that couples to the video display 114, loudspeakers 117 and microphone180; an I/O interface 113 that couples to the keyboard 102, mouse 103,scanner 126, camera 127 and optionally a joystick, touchscreen, voicerecognition system or other human interface device (not illustrated);and an interface 108 for the external modem 116 and printer 115. In someimplementations, the modem 116 may be incorporated within the computermodule 101, for example within the interface 108. The computer module101 also has a local network interface 111, which permits coupling ofthe computer system 100 via a connection 123 to a local-areacommunications network 122, known as a Local Area Network (LAN). Asillustrated in FIG. 1A, the local communications network 122 may alsocouple to the wide network 120 via a connection 124, which wouldtypically include a so-called “firewall” device or device of similarfunctionality. The local network interface 111 may comprise an Ethernetcircuit card, a Bluetooth® wireless arrangement or an IEEE 802.11wireless arrangement; however, numerous other types of interfaces may bepracticed for the interface 111.

The I/O interfaces 108 and 113 may afford either or both of serial andparallel connectivity, the former typically being implemented accordingto the Universal Serial Bus (USB) standards and having corresponding USBconnectors (not illustrated). Storage devices 109 are provided andtypically include a hard disk drive (HDD) 110. Other storage devicessuch as a floppy disk drive and a magnetic tape drive (not illustrated)may also be used. An optical disk drive 112 is typically provided to actas a non-volatile source of data. Portable memory devices, such opticaldisks (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc™), USB-RAM, portable, externalhard drives, and floppy disks, for example, may be used as appropriatesources of data to the system 100.

The components 105 to 113 of the computer module 101 typicallycommunicate via an interconnected bus 104 and in a manner that resultsin a conventional mode of operation of the computer system 100 known tothose in the relevant art. For example, the processor 105 is coupled tothe system bus 104 using a connection 118. Likewise, the memory 106 andoptical disk drive 112 are coupled to the system bus 104 by connections119. Examples of computers on which the described arrangements can bepracticed include IBM-PC's and compatibles, Sun Sparcstations, AppleMac™ or a like computer systems.

In particular, the herein described computer may be configured as a webserver to serve web pages to the Internet and to receive data in theform of instructions and information from other computers connected tothe Internet. For example, the web server may be connected to a localarea network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). Access to the webserver may be by direct connection via the Internet or via othernetworks, such as LANs and WANs. The web server may further includefunctionality to perform the various methods described below.

One or more of the methods as described herein may be implemented usingthe computer system 100 wherein the processes of FIGS. 6-9 to bedescribed, may be implemented as one or more software applicationprograms 133 executable within the computer system 100. For example,these processes may be effected by instructions 131 (see FIG. 1B) in thesoftware 133 that are carried out within the computer system 100. Thesoftware instructions 131 may be formed as one or more code modules,each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may alsobe divided into two separate parts, in which a first part and thecorresponding code modules performs the herein described methods and asecond part and the corresponding code modules manage a user interfacebetween the first part and the user.

The software may be stored in a computer readable medium, including thestorage devices described below, for example. The software is loadedinto the computer system 100 from the computer readable medium, and thenexecuted by the computer system 100. A computer readable medium havingsuch software or computer program recorded on the computer readablemedium is a computer program product. The use of the computer programproduct in the computer system 100 preferably effects an advantageousapparatus or system for managing water control devices.

The software 133 is typically stored in the HDD 110 or the memory 106.The software is loaded into the computer system 100 from a computerreadable medium, and executed by the computer system 100. Thus, forexample, the software 133 may be stored on an optically readable diskstorage medium (e.g., CD-ROM) 125 that is read by the optical disk drive112. A computer readable medium having such software or computer programrecorded on it is a computer program product. The use of the computerprogram product in the computer system 100 preferably effects anapparatus for managing water control devices.

In some instances, the application programs 133 may be supplied to theuser encoded on one or more CD-ROMs 125 and read via the correspondingdrive 112, or alternatively may be read by the user from the networks120 or 122. Still further, the software can also be loaded into thecomputer system 100 from other computer readable media. Computerreadable storage media refers to any non-transitory tangible storagemedium that provides recorded instructions and/or data to the computersystem 100 for execution and/or processing. Examples of such storagemedia include floppy disks, magnetic tape, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-Ray™ Disc, ahard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, amagneto-optical disk, or a computer readable card such as a PCMCIA cardand the like, whether or not such devices are internal or external ofthe computer module 101. Examples of transitory or non-tangible computerreadable transmission media that may also participate in the provisionof software, application programs, instructions and/or data to thecomputer module 101 include radio or infra-red transmission channels aswell as a network connection to another computer or networked device,and the Internet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions andinformation recorded on websites and the like.

The second part of the application programs 133 and the correspondingcode modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or moregraphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise representedupon the display 114. Through manipulation of typically the keyboard 102and the mouse 103, a user of the computer system 100 and the applicationmay manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner toprovide controlling commands and/or input to the applications associatedwith the GUI(s). Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfacesmay also be implemented, such as an audio interface utilizing speechprompts output via the loudspeakers 117 and user voice commands inputvia the microphone 180.

FIG. 1B is a detailed schematic block diagram of the processor 105 and a“memory” 134. The memory 134 represents a logical aggregation of all thememory modules (including the HDD 109 and semiconductor memory 106) thatcan be accessed by the computer module 101 in FIG. 1A.

When the computer module 101 is initially powered up, a power-onself-test (POST) program 150 executes. The POST program 150 is typicallystored in a ROM 149 of the semiconductor memory 106 of FIG. 1A. Ahardware device such as the ROM 149 storing software is sometimesreferred to as firmware. The POST program 150 examines hardware withinthe computer module 101 to ensure proper functioning and typicallychecks the processor 105, the memory 134 (109, 106), and a basicinput-output systems software (BIOS) module 151, also typically storedin the ROM 149, for correct operation. Once the POST program 150 has runsuccessfully, the BIOS 151 activates the hard disk drive 110 of FIG. 1A.Activation of the hard disk drive 110 causes a bootstrap loader program152 that is resident on the hard disk drive 110 to execute via theprocessor 105. This loads an operating system 153 into the RAM memory106, upon which the operating system 153 commences operation. Theoperating system 153 is a system level application, executable by theprocessor 105, to fulfil various high level functions, includingprocessor management, memory management, device management, storagemanagement, software application interface, and generic user interface.

The operating system 153 manages the memory 134 (109, 106) to ensurethat each process or application running on the computer module 101 hassufficient memory in which to execute without colliding with memoryallocated to another process. Furthermore, the different types of memoryavailable in the system 100 of FIG. 1A must be used properly so thateach process can run effectively. Accordingly, the aggregated memory 134is not intended to illustrate how particular segments of memory areallocated (unless otherwise stated), but rather to provide a generalview of the memory accessible by the computer system 100 and how such isused.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the processor 105 includes a number of functionalmodules including a control unit 139, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU)140, and a local or internal memory 148, sometimes called a cachememory. The cache memory 148 typically includes a number of storageregisters 144-146 in a register section. One or more internal busses 141functionally interconnect these functional modules. The processor 105typically also has one or more interfaces 142 for communicating withexternal devices via the system bus 104, using a connection 118. Thememory 134 is coupled to the bus 104 using a connection 119.

The application program 133 includes a sequence of instructions 131 thatmay include conditional branch and loop instructions. The program 133may also include data 132 which is used in execution of the program 133.The instructions 131 and the data 132 are stored in memory locations128, 129, 130 and 135, 136, 137, respectively. Depending upon therelative size of the instructions 131 and the memory locations 128-130,a particular instruction may be stored in a single memory location asdepicted by the instruction shown in the memory location 130.Alternately, an instruction may be segmented into a number of parts eachof which is stored in a separate memory location, as depicted by theinstruction segments shown in the memory locations 128 and 129.

In general, the processor 105 is given a set of instructions which areexecuted therein. The processor 1105 waits for a subsequent input, towhich the processor 105 reacts to by executing another set ofinstructions. Each input may be provided from one or more of a number ofsources, including data generated by one or more of the input devices102, 103, data received from an external source across one of thenetworks 120, 102, data retrieved from one of the storage devices 106,109 or data retrieved from a storage medium 125 inserted into thecorresponding reader 112, all depicted in FIG. 1A. The execution of aset of the instructions may in some cases result in output of data.Execution may also involve storing data or variables to the memory 134.

The disclosed water management arrangements use input variables 154,which are stored in the memory 134 in corresponding memory locations155, 156, 157. The water management arrangements produce outputvariables 161, which are stored in the memory 134 in correspondingmemory locations 162, 163, 164. Intermediate variables 158 may be storedin memory locations 159, 160, 166 and 167.

Referring to the processor 105 of FIG. 1B, the registers 144, 145, 146,the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 140, and the control unit 139 worktogether to perform sequences of micro-operations needed to perform“fetch, decode, and execute” cycles for every instruction in theinstruction set making up the program 133. Each fetch, decode, andexecute cycle comprises:

-   -   a fetch operation, which fetches or reads an instruction 131        from a memory location 128, 129, 130;    -   a decode operation in which the control unit 139 determines        which instruction has been fetched; and    -   an execute operation in which the control unit 139 and/or the        ALU 140 execute the instruction.

Thereafter, a further fetch, decode, and execute cycle for the nextinstruction may be executed. Similarly, a store cycle may be performedby which the control unit 139 stores or writes a value to a memorylocation 132.

Each sub-process in the processes of FIGS. 6 to 9 may be associated withone or more segments of the program 133 and is performed by the registersection 144, 145, 147, the ALU 140, and the control unit 139 in theprocessor 105 working together to perform the fetch, decode, and executecycles for every instruction in the instruction set for the notedsegments of the program 133.

The methods of water management may alternatively be implemented indedicated hardware such as one or more integrated circuits performingthe functions or sub functions of water management. Such dedicatedhardware may include graphic processors, digital signal processors, orone or more microprocessors and associated memories.

FIGS. 2A and 2B collectively form a schematic block diagram of a generalpurpose electronic device 201 including embedded components, upon whichthe water management methods to be described are desirably practiced.The embedded electronic device 201 may be, for example, a mobile phone,a tablet device, a smart watch, personal digital assistant type deviceor any other embedded electronic device, in which processing resourcesare limited. Nevertheless, the methods to be described may also beperformed on higher-level devices such as desktop computers, servercomputers, and other such devices with significantly larger processingresources.

As seen in FIG. 2A, the electronic device 201 comprises an embeddedcontroller 202. Accordingly, the electronic device 201 may be referredto as an “embedded device.” In the present example, the controller 202has a processing unit (or processor) 205 which is bi-directionallycoupled to an internal storage module 209. The storage module 209 may beformed from non-volatile semiconductor read only memory (ROM) 260 andsemiconductor random access memory (RAM) 270, as seen in FIG. 2B. TheRAM 270 may be volatile, non-volatile or a combination of volatile andnon-volatile memory.

The electronic device 201 includes a display controller 207, which isconnected to a video display 214, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD)panel or the like. The display controller 207 is configured fordisplaying graphical images on the video display 214 in accordance withinstructions received from the embedded controller 202, to which thedisplay controller 207 is connected.

The electronic device 201 also includes user input devices 213 which aretypically formed by keys, a keypad or like controls. In someimplementations, the user input devices 213 may include a touchsensitive panel physically associated with the display 214 tocollectively form a touch-screen. Such a touch-screen may thus operateas one form of graphical user interface (GUI) as opposed to a prompt ormenu driven GUI typically used with keypad-display combinations. Otherforms of user input devices may also be used, such as a microphone (notillustrated) for voice commands or a joystick/thumb wheel (notillustrated) for ease of navigation about menus.

As seen in FIG. 2A, the electronic device 201 also comprises a portablememory interface 206, which is coupled to the processor 205 via aconnection 219. The portable memory interface 206 allows a complementaryportable memory device 225 to be coupled to the electronic device 201 toact as a source or destination of data or to supplement the internalstorage module 209. Examples of such interfaces permit coupling withportable memory devices such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) memorydevices, Secure Digital (SD) cards, Personal Computer Memory CardInternational Association (PCMIA) cards, optical disks and magneticdisks.

The electronic device 201 also has a communications interface 208 topermit coupling of the device 201 to a computer or communicationsnetwork 220 via a connection 221. The connection 221 may be wired orwireless. For example, the connection 221 may be radio frequency oroptical. An example of a wired connection includes Ethernet. Further, anexample of wireless connection includes Bluetooth™ type localinterconnection, Wi-Fi (including protocols based on the standards ofthe IEEE 802.11 family), Infrared Data Association (IrDa) and the like.

Typically, the electronic device 201 is configured to perform somespecial function. The embedded controller 202, possibly in conjunctionwith further special function components 210, is provided to performthat special function. For example, where the device 201 is a digitalcamera, the components 210 may represent a lens, focus control and imagesensor of the camera. The special function components 210 are connectedto the embedded controller 202. As another example, the device 201 maybe a mobile telephone handset. In this instance, the components 210 mayrepresent those components required for communications in a cellulartelephone environment. Where the device 201 is a portable device, thespecial function components 210 may represent a number of encoders anddecoders of a type including Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG),(Moving Picture Experts Group) MPEG, MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3), and thelike.

Various methods described hereinafter may be implemented using theembedded controller 202, where the processes of FIGS. 6 to 9 may beimplemented as one or more software application programs 233 executablewithin the embedded controller 202. The electronic device 201 of FIG. 2Aimplements the described methods. In particular, with reference to FIG.2B, the described methods are effected by instructions in the software233 that are carried out within the controller 202. The softwareinstructions may be formed as one or more code modules, each forperforming one or more particular tasks. The software may also bedivided into two separate parts, in which a first part and thecorresponding code modules performs the described methods and a secondpart and the corresponding code modules manage a user interface betweenthe first part and the user.

The software 233 of the embedded controller 202 is typically stored inthe non-volatile ROM 260 of the internal storage module 209. Thesoftware 233 stored in the ROM 260 can be updated when required from acomputer readable medium. The software 233 can be loaded into andexecuted by the processor 205. In some instances, the processor 205 mayexecute software instructions that are located in RAM 270. Softwareinstructions may be loaded into the RAM 270 by the processor 205initiating a copy of one or more code modules from ROM 260 into RAM 270.Alternatively, the software instructions of one or more code modules maybe pre-installed in a non-volatile region of RAM 270 by a manufacturer.After one or more code modules have been located in RAM 270, theprocessor 205 may execute software instructions of the one or more codemodules.

The application program 233 is typically pre-installed and stored in theROM 260 by a manufacturer, prior to distribution of the electronicdevice 201. However, in some instances, the application programs 233 maybe supplied to the user encoded on one or more CD-ROM (not shown) andread via the portable memory interface 206 of FIG. 2A prior to storagein the internal storage module 209 or in the portable memory 225. Inanother alternative, the software application program 233 may be read bythe processor 205 from the network 220, or loaded into the controller202 or the portable storage medium 225 from other computer readablemedia. Computer readable storage media refers to any non-transitorytangible storage medium that participates in providing instructionsand/or data to the controller 202 for execution and/or processing.Examples of such storage media include floppy disks, magnetic tape,CD-ROM, a hard disk drive, a ROM or integrated circuit, USB memory, amagneto-optical disk, flash memory, or a computer readable card such asa PCMCIA card and the like, whether or not such devices are internal orexternal of the device 201. Examples of transitory or non-tangiblecomputer readable transmission media that may also participate in theprovision of software, application programs, instructions and/or data tothe device 201 include radio or infra-red transmission channels as wellas a network connection to another computer or networked device, and theInternet or Intranets including e-mail transmissions and informationrecorded on Websites and the like. A computer readable medium havingsuch software or computer program recorded on it is a computer programproduct.

The second part of the application programs 233 and the correspondingcode modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or moregraphical user interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise representedupon the display 214 of FIG. 2A. Through manipulation of the user inputdevice 213 (e.g., the keypad), a user of the device 201 and theapplication programs 233 may manipulate the interface in a functionallyadaptable manner to provide controlling commands and/or input to theapplications associated with the GUI(s). Other forms of functionallyadaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audiointerface utilizing speech prompts output via loudspeakers (notillustrated) and user voice commands input via the microphone (notillustrated).

FIG. 2B illustrates in detail the embedded controller 202 having theprocessor 205 for executing the application programs 233 and theinternal storage 209. The internal storage 209 comprises read onlymemory (ROM) 260 and random access memory (RAM) 270. The processor 205is able to execute the application programs 233 stored in one or both ofthe connected memories 260 and 270. When the electronic device 201 isinitially powered up, a system program resident in the ROM 260 isexecuted. The application program 233 permanently stored in the ROM 260is sometimes referred to as “firmware”. Execution of the firmware by theprocessor 205 may fulfil various functions, including processormanagement, memory management, device management, storage management anduser interface.

The processor 205 typically includes a number of functional modulesincluding a control unit (CU) 251, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 252, adigital signal processor (DSP) 2153 and a local or internal memorycomprising a set of registers 254 which typically contain atomic dataelements 256, 257, along with internal buffer or cache memory 255. Oneor more internal buses 259 interconnect these functional modules. Theprocessor 205 typically also has one or more interfaces 258 forcommunicating with external devices via system bus 281, using aconnection 261.

The application program 233 includes a sequence of instructions 262through 263 that may include conditional branch and loop instructions.The program 233 may also include data, which is used in execution of theprogram 233. This data may be stored as part of the instruction or in aseparate location 264 within the ROM 260 or RAM 270.

In general, the processor 205 is given a set of instructions, which areexecuted therein. This set of instructions may be organized into blocks,which perform specific tasks or handle specific events that occur in theelectronic device 201. Typically, the application program 233 waits forevents and subsequently executes the block of code associated with thatevent. Events may be triggered in response to input from a user, via theuser input devices 213 of FIG. 2A, as detected by the processor 205.Events may also be triggered in response to other sensors and interfacesin the electronic device 201.

The execution of a set of the instructions may require numeric variablesto be read and modified. Such numeric variables are stored in the RAM270. The disclosed method uses input variables 271 that are stored inknown locations 272, 273 in the memory 270. The input variables 271 areprocessed to produce output variables 277 that are stored in knownlocations 278, 279 in the memory 270. Intermediate variables 274 may bestored in additional memory locations in locations 275, 276 of thememory 270. Alternatively, some intermediate variables may only exist inthe registers 254 of the processor 205.

The execution of a sequence of instructions is achieved in the processor205 by repeated application of a fetch-execute cycle. The control unit251 of the processor 205 maintains a register called the programcounter, which contains the address in ROM 260 or RAM 270 of the nextinstruction to be executed. At the start of the fetch execute cycle, thecontents of the memory address indexed by the program counter is loadedinto the control unit 251. The instruction thus loaded controls thesubsequent operation of the processor 205, causing for example, data tobe loaded from ROM memory 260 into processor registers 254, the contentsof a register to be arithmetically combined with the contents of anotherregister, the contents of a register to be written to the locationstored in another register and so on. At the end of the fetch executecycle the program counter is updated to point to the next instruction inthe system program code. Depending on the instruction just executed thismay involve incrementing the address contained in the program counter orloading the program counter with a new address in order to achieve abranch operation.

Each sub-process in the processes of the methods described below isassociated with one or more segments of the application program 233, andis performed by repeated execution of a fetch-execute cycle in theprocessor 205 or similar programmatic operation of other independentprocessor blocks in the electronic device 201.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a water control device with an electroniccontroller. In this example, the water control device 301 is a tap thatincludes a thermostatic mixing valve (TMV) 303. The TMV blends hot waterwith cold water to a predetermined constant temperature. Sensors areattached to the hot water and cold water inlet pipes to sense the inputpressure and temperature of the hot and cold water as it enters the TMV.Further, a sensor is attached to the outlet pipe to sense temperatureand flow rate. The cold water input pressure, hot water input pressure,cold water temperature, hot water temperature, output water temperatureand output water flow rate are sent to a central processing unit (CPU)in an electronic controller 305. The CPU samples the inputs fed from thesensors and determines the temperature, pressures and flow rateassociated with the water used by the water control device.

This information may be provided to a display, either locally orremotely by a communications adaptor. Operational parameters associatedwith the correct functioning of the water control device are stored in adata store. The CPU may compare the incoming data to the storedparameters to determine whether the water control device is functioningcorrectly as well as enabling the CPU to monitor the usage of water bythe water control device. By comparing the incoming data with the storeddata, the CPU determines whether the valve is functioning correctly. TheCPU may control the shutoff value to disable water flow from the watercontrol device to safely shutdown operation of the water control deviceshould a problem be detected. Further, the CPU may also alert and reportthe status of the water control device to a user via a display eitherlocally or remotely. The information sent to the CPU may be stored in alocal store acting as a memory.

The electronic controller 305 also includes a communications adapter toenable the display and transfer of the data currently stored in thelocal store as well as data received from the water control device to auser via a wired connection. For example, the communications adapter mayuse a standard serial or parallel connection to a PC or a network.Alternatively, wireless data connections via Bluetooth™, for example, orRF technology may be utilized to transfer data to other devices ornetworks. Further, as described herein the communications adapter maytransmit this data to an embedded electronic device, such as a mobiletelephone which is in the vicinity of the electronic controller. It willbe understood that other wireless data formats, transmission methods orstandards may be used besides Bluetooth™.

The communications adapter may also allow the electronic controller ofthe water control device to communicate with and be monitored by abuilding management system (BMS) using standard BMS protocols such asBACnet, LON, etc. The communications adapter may allow multiple TMVmonitoring system CPU's to be connected to a centralized monitoringdisplay and data store using a network other than the BMS. For example,the communications adapter may use a computing local area network.

The data store may be connected to the CPU to save the incoming datareceived from the sensor for analysis and reporting purposes. Theinformation stored in the data store of the electronic controller may beaccessed by a user via a local display or a remote display to obtainstatus, performance statistics, maintenance information and regulatoryreporting requirements. Further, the data received may also betransmitted to remote displays for analysis and reporting purposes.Further, a data store may also be provided on the remote displays toenable information to be stored for reporting and analysis purposes.

The local display is used to interface with a user. This display mayinclude audio and/or visual alerts, a display screen, a connectedcomputer, a connected smartphone or other embedded electronic device, ora building management system display.

The electronic controller may also include a timer that provides timeand/or date stamping functionality for the input data as well asproviding a time source for the CPU. The CPU may use the timer data whencarrying out sampling functions on the received data.

As an example, the CPU may operate upon receiving data from the watercontrol device by controlling a shut off valve connected to the outletof the water control device. As will be explained in more detail below,the CPU of the electronic controller may also operate based on controldata received from one or more external devices, such as embeddedelectronic devices, computing systems and building management systems.

FIG. 4 shows a water management system. The water management system 400includes a number of different water control devices (401A, 401B and401C). A first water control device 401A is a urinal including anelectronic controller (for example, similar or the same as thatdescribed above) attached therein. The second water control device 401Bis a toilet with a further electronic controller (for example, similaror the same as that described above) attached therein. A third watercontrol device is a tap unit with a thermostatic mixing valve with abuilt in electronic controller as described above. It will be understoodthat, as an alternative, the tap unit and thermostatic mixing valve maybe separate and have separate electronic controllers.

Each of the electronic controllers in the water control devices is ableto communicate via a Bluetooth connection (403A, 403B, 403C). Anembedded electronic device, such as a mobile telephone, 201 alsoincludes functionality to receive and transmit Bluetooth communications.That is, the mobile telephone and the electronic controllers of thewater control devices pair with each other using known Bluetooth pairingprocesses. It will be understood that other wireless data formats,transmission methods or standards may be used besides Bluetooth™.

Software in the form of an App is provided within the mobile telephoneand enables data to be retrieved from the water control devices andanalyzed by the processor of the mobile telephone under operation of thesoftware to produce an output in the form of control data. The controldata is then sent back to the water control devices to control theoperation of the water control device. According to this particularwater management system, the mobile telephone 201 communicates on a oneto one basis with each of the water control devices separately.

According to one example, the water management system enables a processfor controlling at least one operational parameter associated with oneor more of the water control devices. The operational parameter isassociated with the water that is used by the water control device.According to this arrangement, the water management system includes theelectronic controller of one or more of the water control devices aswell as the mobile telephone device. The electronic controller in thewater control device is arranged to send operational data associatedwith the operational parameters to the mobile telephone. The mobiletelephone is then arranged to receive this operational data and, uponreceipt, develop (i.e., create, modify, delete or otherwise produce)control data based on the received operational data. This control datais then sent back to the electronic controller via the Bluetoothconnection. It will be understood that other wireless data formats,transmission methods or standards may be used besides Bluetooth™.

The electronic controller receives the control data from the mobiletelephone and controls the operational parameter of the water controldevice based on that received control data.

The operational data sent from the electronic controller includes thedata stored in the data store of the electronic controller as referredto above with respect to FIG. 3. The operational parameters include, forexample, the temperature, water pressure and flow rate or otherparameter associated with use of the water control device.

For example, the operational parameter associated with the water controldevice may control a reduction in the water use of the water controldevice. For example, the water control device may be operated tocompletely stop the use of any water. Alternatively, the water controldevice may be operated to reduce the amount of water volume used by thewater control device over a predefined time period. Alternatively, thewater control device may be controlled to reduce a time period in whichwater flow may be activated for the water control device. Therefore, thecontrol data developed by the mobile telephone is developed to enablethe water control device to reduce water use in this manner.

According to a further example, the mobile telephone may operate as acomputing device that is arranged to determine a particular mode ofoperation for the water control devices based on water supply. Theparticular mode of operation may be determined by the mobile devicethrough interaction with a user via a user interface on the mobiledevice. For example, the mobile device may display options for a user toselect which mode of operation to use. For example, an option to operatethe water control devices in a standard mode may be selected by a useron the user interface. Alternatively, an option for selecting a reducedwater usage mode may be activated by the user via the user interface. Asa further example, an option for a severe water restriction mode may beselected by a user on the user interface. Dependent on which mode hasbeen selected, the mobile telephone may determine the mode andsubsequently develop control data based on that determined mode ofoperation. The control data developed is also dependent upon theoperational parameters of the water control device. The developedcontrol data is then sent to the electronic controller of the watercontrol device where the controller receives the control data andcontrols the operational parameters of the water control devices basedon that received control data.

For example, in a standard mode of operation, the control data mayprovide the electronic controller with the necessary information tocontrol the operational parameters of the water control device based onstandard water usage. As another example, in the reduced water usagemode, the control data may provide instructions to the electroniccontroller to reduce operational parameter levels to reduce the amountof water used by the water control device by partially closing a watervalve. As a further example, in the severe water restriction mode, thecontrol data may include instructions for the electronic controller toreduce severely or stop water usage by the water control device byshutting off one or more valves fully or for a limited amount of time.It will be understood that the control data may control the variouswater control devices in other ways depending on the selected mode ofoperation. It will also be understood that there may be other modes ofoperation that may be selected.

According to a further example, the control data may enable theelectronic controller of the water control device to control operationalparameters in order to stop water use by the water control devicecompletely, reduce the amount of water volume used by the water controldevice in a defined period of time either by (a) a percentage of watervolume compared to a water volume used in a standard mode or (b) adefined volumetric amount. Alternatively, the time that water flow isactivated may be reduced by the electronic controller of the watercontrol device. For example, the time water flow is activated may bereduced at a standard rate or an adjusted rate.

As a further example, the amount of water volume used by the watercontrol device may be reduced by the electronic controller associatedwith the water control device. For example, the amount of water may bereduced by a percentage of water volume compared to a standard modeusage or by a defined volumetric amount.

As a further example, the amount of time that water flow is activatedwithin the water control device may be reduced either at a standard rateor at an adjusted rate.

The electronic controller of the water control device may transferoperational data associated with the operational parameters used by thewater control device to the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone (orcomputing device) may then develop the control data based on thedetermined mode of operation and the received operational data.Therefore, the control data is not only developed based on the mode ofoperation but also based on the amount of water usage being used by thewater control device.

As a further alternative, the mode of operation may be determined byeither the mobile device (or computing device) or building managementsystem assessing the current environmental conditions or situation. Uponcompleting this assessment, a mode of operation may be set for the watercontrol devices based on that assessment.

For example, the mode of operation could be selected based on real time& historical information gathered from a range of local environmentsensors, such as rain gauges, temperature measurement, humiditymeasurement, etc. The retrieved data is then analyzed to determine if awater saving “performance profile” or mode of operation needs to beactivated for one or more of the water control devices under control bythe system.

For example, data may be retrieved via an external, centralizedenvironmental information database, such as a database available from abureau of meteorology. This data may be retrieved using any suitabletechnique, such as, for example, via an API.

Further, it will be understood that the system may be controlled toenter a defined mode of operation by an external authority, such as, forexample, a government department, a local water authority, etc., duringperiods in which official water restriction regimes have been put inplace, for example.

As a further example, the system may monitor predetermined usage limits,which have been set either by the user or an external authority, forexample. Upon reaching the predetermined usage limit, the system mayactivate a defined mode of operation. It will be understood that thesystem may automatically activate the defined mode of operation orgenerate and output an alert for the operator indicating that thepredetermined usage limits have been reached, thus allowing the operatorto set the system to operate according to a desired mode of operation.

Further, the system may also use the information from one water controldevice and use it as feedback to control another water control device,thereby providing an error checking functionality. For example, datafrom a flow meter located in a tap may be compared against data from aflow meter sensor in the corresponding basin drain and be used toconfirm that the water discharged from the tap has been successfullydrained away from the basin. Any significant discrepancy could be due toa blockage and so the system may send a control signal to the taplocated at that location to command it to cease operation as well asoptionally send an error alert to the operator.

FIG. 5 shows a further example of a water management system. This watermanagement system 500 includes the same water control devices andelectronic controllers as described above (401A, 401B, 401C). It alsoincludes a mobile telephone 201 as described above. According to thisexample, a central gateway device 501 is also provided whichcommunicates via Bluetooth to the various electronic controllers of thewater control devices as well as to the mobile telephone 201. That is,the central gateway device 501 includes a wireless communication device505, which in this example is a Bluetooth device. It will be understoodthat other wireless data formats, transmission methods or standards maybe used besides Bluetooth™. Further, the central gateway device 501includes a network connection module 503 to enable it to connect to alocal network such as a LAN or WLAN. This enables the central gatewaydevice to connect to a webserver 507 via the network. The webserver 507may, for example, be a computing device as described above withreference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. Further computing devices 509, 511 and 513may access the webserver via the suitable network connection such as anInternet connection.

It will be understood that, as an alternative, the webserver may notnecessarily be an additional computer, but may operate using webserversoftware that has been loaded on to the central gateway device. That is,the central gateway device may incorporate a webserver therein andoperate as a computing device with webserver functionality. Thistherefore simplifies access to the central gateway device and to thewater control devices from arbitrary computers or mobile devices withoutthe need for specialized software. Access to the central gateway devicemay be utilized through a standard web browser such as MicrosoftInternet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome or the like. Thisenables the central gateway device to operate in a similar manner tostandard WLAN routers, etc. Therefore, the central gateway device mayfunction inside a local area network (LAN or WLAN) and enable otherdevices within that network to connect to it directly, rather than via aserver located in the Internet as described above with reference to FIG.5.

Therefore, according to these particular examples, the electroniccontroller of the water control devices may send operational dataassociated with operational parameters of the water control device tothe central gateway device. The central gateway device may transmit thisoperational data to the mobile telephone 201 to enable it to operate asdescribed above with reference to FIG. 4. In this way, the mobiletelephone may communicate in a one-to-many configuration where thegateway device transfers the control data from the mobile telephone tothe appropriate water control device. For example, the softwareoperating on the mobile telephone may allocate unique IDs to each watercontrol device so that the control data may be associated with thoseunique IDs. The central gateway device may then read the unique IDassociated with the control data and transfer the data to the correctwater control device.

The mobile telephone may therefore control one or more operationalparameters of the water control devices either individually or as agroup. For example, the mobile telephone may control one or more watercontrol devices at the same time, or one at a time.

According to one example, not only may the mobile telephone acting as acomputing device retrieve operational data from the central gatewaydevice, the operational data may also be sent via the network to thewebserver and stored at the webserver. This therefore enables othercomputing devices to retrieve the operational data from the webserver.For example, the mobile telephone 201 may access the operational dataeither via the central gateway device 501, via webserver software withinthe central gateway device or via a connection to a webserver throughthe internet. In this way, the mobile telephone may be used as a servicetool for engineers to monitor and control operational parameters of thewater control devices while in the local vicinity of the bathroomfacility in which the water control devices are installed.

As a further example, an administration tool 509 in the form of acomputing device as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1Bmay access the webserver 507 in order to retrieve the operational datafrom the webserver. This administration tool 509 may then developcontrol data based on the retrieved operational data and send thatcontrol data back to the electronic controller via the webserver and thecentral gateway device. The control data may be developed in the sameway as described above with reference to FIG. 4. Further, the electroniccontroller of the water control device is able to receive the controldata and control the operational parameters of the water control devicebased on that received control data. The administration tool 509 enablesthe management of one or more water control devices in a single bathroomfacility.

As a further example, a management tool 511 in the form of a computingdevice as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B may alsoaccess the webserver to retrieve the operational data from the webserverand develop control data based on the retrieved operational data. Again,the control data may be developed in the same way as described abovewith reference to FIG. 4. In this example, the management tool 511 is acomputing device that forms part of a building management system. Thistherefore enables the management tool to control one or more watercontrol devices in one or more bathroom facilities in one or morebuildings. In addition, it also enables the management tool to monitorwater usage of any individual water control device located in any of thebathroom facilities within any of the buildings managed by that buildingmanagement system.

Therefore, a number of different electronic controllers associated withdifferent water control devices may be located in multiple bathroomfacilities. Multiple central gateway devices may be arranged to receivethe operational data from the electronic controllers in an associatedbathroom facility. That is, a single central gateway device may be incommunication with multiple water control devices in a single bathroomfacility.

These various computing devices 509 and 511 (as well as 201) may alsodetermine a mode of operation for the water control devices based onwater supply as described above with reference to FIG. 4. That is, thesecomputing devices may be arranged to determine the mode of operation anddevelop control data based on that determined mode of operation andoperational parameters. The control data may then be developed tocontrol a reduction in water use by the water control device in thevarious ways discussed above.

Further, the system as described herein may provide information &reporting functionalities. For example, the system may analyze the datareceived from the various water control devices and provide the userand/or facility manager with information on water usage associated withindividual water control devices. The system may identify issues such asexceptional water usage (for example, caused by leakage) or high waterusage rates, which may indicate more frequent maintenance is required.

The system may identify faulty water control devices and perform actionsbased on the identification of various issues. The system may shut thewater control device down, for example, and inform the operator thataction is required. For example, a notification system may issue anotification in the form of an audible, visual or electronic alert. Theelectronic alert may be, for example, an email, SMS or other suitableelectronic message.

With regards to the adjustable mode of operation as described herein,the system may analyze the data received from one or more water controldevices when operating in different modes and generate and providereports to the user/facility manager, or even government authorities, toshow compliance with water restriction requirements. Further, thesereports may generate and provide information indicating the actual watersavings achieved through the use of specific modes of operation.

FIG. 6 shows a water management process according to a particularexample. According to this process an electronic controller sendsoperational data associated with the operational parameter of the watercontrol device to an embedded electronic device. Further, the embeddedelectronic device receives the operational data and develops controldata based on the received operational data. Further, the embeddedelectronic device sends the control data to the electronic controller.The electronic controller receives the control data and controls theoperational parameter of the water control device based on the receivedcontrol data.

FIG. 7 shows a further water management process wherein the electroniccontroller sends operational data associated with the operationalparameter to at least one central gateway device. Further, the centralgateway device receives the operational data and sends the operationaldata to a webserver. The operational data from the webserver is thenretrieved using a computing device. The computing device develops thecontrol data based on the retrieved operational data. The control datais then sent to the electronic controller via the webserver and thecentral gateway device. The electronic controller receives the controldata and controls the operational parameter of the water control devicebased on the received control data.

FIG. 8 shows a further water management process wherein a computingdevice determines a mode of operation for the water control device basedon water supply. The computing device develops control data based on thedetermined mode of operation and the operational parameter of the watercontrol device. The computing device then sends the control data to theelectronic controller of the water control device. The electroniccontroller receives the control data and controls the operationparameter based on received control data.

FIG. 9 shows a further water management process wherein a computingdevice receives operational data associated with the operationalparameter from the electronic controller of the water control device.The computing device develops control data based on the receivedoperational data. The computer device then sends the control data to theelectronic controller for controlling the operational parameter of thewater control device based on the received control data.

According to this process, the computing device may receive theoperational data from the electronic controller via a central gatewaydevice and/or a webserver. Further, the computing device may send theoperational data to the electronic controller via the central gatewaydevice and/or the webserver. Also, the computing device may determine amode of operation for the water control device based on water supply asdescribed herein. The computing device may develop the control databased on the determined mode of operation and the operational parametersof the water control device. That is, the control data may be developedto control a reduction in water use by the water control device asdescribed above.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The arrangements described are applicable to the computer and dataprocessing industries and particularly for the water control devicemanagement and control industry.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present disclosure,and modifications and/or changes can be made thereto without departingfrom the scope and spirit of the disclosure, the embodiments beingillustrative and not restrictive.

In the context of this specification, the word “comprising” means“including principally but not necessarily solely” or “having” or“including”, and not “consisting only of”. Variations of the word“comprising”, such as “comprise” and “comprises” have correspondinglyvaried meanings.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A bathroom facility water management methodof controlling at least one operational parameter of at least one watercontrol device in a bathroom facility water management system comprisingan embedded electronic device or a computing device, wherein theoperational parameter is associated with water used by the water controldevice, the method comprising the steps of: sending, from an electroniccontroller of the water control device, operational data associated withthe operational parameter to the embedded electronic device or computingdevice when the embedded electronic device or the computing device is incommunication with the electronic controller; receiving, at the embeddedelectronic device or the computing device, the operational data, anddeveloping control data based on the received operational data andsending the control data to the electronic controller when the embeddedelectronic device or the computing device is in communication with theelectronic controller; wherein the electronic controller is arranged tooperate in a plurality of modes, wherein a first water usage mode of theplurality of modes is based on standard water usage and a second waterusage mode of the plurality of modes is based on reduced water usage;wherein, in the second water usage mode, the control data is developedto enable the electronic controller to control the operationalparameters to reduce the amount of water used by the water controldevice in a defined period of time either (a) by a percentage of watervolume compared to a water volume used in a standard mode or (b) by adefined volumetric amount or (c) to reduce the time that water flow isactivated or (d) to reduce the time that water flow is activated at astandard rate or an adjusted rate; and receiving, at the electroniccontroller, the control data and controlling the operational parameterof the water control device based on the received control data.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising the step of allocating unique IDsto each water control device in the bathroom facility water managementsystem, and associating the control data with the allocated unique IDs.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is one of acomputing system and a building management system.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the water control device is at least one of a bathroom,restroom, toilet or kitchen product or plumbing fixture chosen from agroup of bathroom, restroom, toilet or kitchen products or plumbingfixtures comprising a thermostatic mixing valve, a urinal, a toilet, atap unit, a cistern, a shower, a basin, a water recirculation pump or awater storage unit.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bathroomfacility water management system further comprises an administrationlevel computing device and a management level computing device, whereinthe method further comprises the steps of: controlling, at theadministration level computing device, a plurality of the water controldevices in a single bathroom facility via the embedded electronic deviceor the computing device based on the operational data; and controlling,at the management level computing device, a plurality of the watercontrol devices in a plurality of bathroom facilities via the embeddedelectronic device or the computing device based on the operational data.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the bathroom facility water managementsystem further comprises at least one central gateway device and amanagement level computing device, wherein the method further comprises:sending, from the electronic controller, the operational data to the atleast one central gateway device; controlling, at the management levelcomputing device, a plurality of water control devices in a plurality ofbathroom facilities via the at least one central gateway device based onthe operational data; and controlling, at the management level computingdevice, a plurality of water control devices in a plurality of bathroomfacilities via the at least one central gateway device based on theoperational data.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the stepsof: sending the operational data from the electronic controller to theat least one central gateway device; and sending the operational datafrom the at least one central gateway device to the embedded electronicdevice.
 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:sending the operational data from the at least one central gatewaydevice to a web server; and accessing, by an administration levelcomputing device or management level computing device, the operationaldata from the web server to control the water control devices.
 9. Thebathroom facility water management method of claim 1, wherein the secondwater usage mode is determined based on an assessment by the embeddedelectronic device or the computing device of at least one currentenvironmental condition or current environmental situation.
 10. Thebathroom facility water management method of claim 9, wherein theassessment is based on data retrieved via an external, centralizedenvironmental information database.
 11. A water management system forcontrolling at least one operational parameter of at least one watercontrol device, wherein the operational parameter is associated withwater used by the water control device, the water management systemcomprising at least one water control device having an electroniccontroller, and an embedded electronic device or a computing device,wherein: the electronic controller is arranged to send operational dataassociated with the operational parameter to the embedded electronicdevice or computing device when the embedded electronic device or thecomputing device is in communication with the electronic controller; theembedded electronic device or computing device is arranged to receivethe operational data, develop control data based on the receivedoperational data and send the control data to the electronic controllerwhen the embedded electronic device or the computing device is incommunication with the electronic controller; wherein the electroniccontroller is arranged to operate in a plurality of modes, wherein afirst water usage mode of the plurality of modes is based on standardwater usage and a second water usage mode of the plurality of modes isbased on reduced water usage; wherein, in the second water usage mode,the control data is developed to enable the electronic controller tocontrol the operational parameters to reduce the amount of water used bythe water control device in a defined period of time either (a) by apercentage of water volume compared to a water volume used in a standardmode or (b) by a defined volumetric amount or (c) to reduce the timethat water flow is activated or (d) to reduce the time that water flowis activated at a standard rate or an adjusted rate; and the electroniccontroller is further arranged to receive the control data and controlthe operational parameter of the water control device based on thereceived control data.
 12. The water management system of claim 11,wherein the embedded electronic device or computing device allocateunique IDs to each water control device in the water management system,and associate the control data with the allocated unique IDs.
 13. Thewater management system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is oneof a computing system and a building management system.
 14. The watermanagement system of claim 11, wherein the water control device is atleast one of a bathroom, restroom, toilet or kitchen product or plumbingfixture chosen from a group of bathroom, restroom, toilet or kitchenproducts or plumbing fixtures comprising a thermostatic mixing valve, aurinal, a toilet, a tap unit, a cistern, a shower, a basin, a waterrecirculation pump or a water storage unit.
 15. The water managementsystem of claim 11, wherein the water management system furthercomprises an administration level computing device and a managementlevel computing device, wherein the administration level computingdevice is arranged to control a plurality of the water control devicesin a single bathroom facility via the embedded electronic device or thecomputing device based on the operational data, and the management levelcomputing device is arranged to control a plurality of the water controldevices in a plurality of bathroom facilities via the embeddedelectronic device or the computing device based on the operational data.16. The water management system of claim 11, wherein the bathroomfacility water management system further comprises at least one centralgateway device and a management level computing device, wherein theelectronic controller is arranged to send the operational data to the atleast one central gateway device, and wherein the management levelcomputing device is arranged to control a plurality of water controldevices in a plurality of bathroom facilities via the at least onecentral gateway device based on the operational data.
 17. The watermanagement system of claim 16, wherein the electronic controller isarranged to send the operational data to the at least one centralgateway device, and the at least one central gateway device is arrangedto send the operational data to the embedded electronic device.
 18. Thewater management system of claim 17 further comprising a web server andan administration level computing device, wherein the at least onecentral gateway device is arranged to send the operational data to theweb server, and the administration level computing device or themanagement level computing device is arranged to access the operationaldata from the web server to control the water control devices.
 19. Thewater management system of claim 11, wherein the second water usage modeis determined based on an assessment by the embedded electronic deviceor the computing device of at least one current environmental conditionor current environmental situation.
 20. The water management system ofclaim 19, wherein the assessment is based on data retrieved via anexternal, centralized environmental information database.